Bridge.



Patented Dec. I6, |902.

(Application Bled Mar. 12, 1902.: (No Mode-l.)

FFICE `JOHN C. WILLIAMS, OF `KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

BRIDGE.

. Sli"ECIIiIEGAClTIO1\T` forming part of Letters Pate-nt No. 716,160, dated December 16, 1902.

" v `Application led March 12, 1902.` Serial No. 97j928. (No model.)

To all whom it` may concern:

Belitknown that I, JOHN C. WILLIAMs, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bridges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bridges particularly adapted to be arranged across wide streams-such as rivers,creeks, and the likewherein a sudden variation in high-water marks is liable to occur from tides and freshets.

The aim and purpose of the presentimprovement is to provide means for compensating for variations in Water-levels in rivers or creeks aboveV a `normal. high-water` mark through themediumfof adjusting devices simultaneously operative from a single con trolling-point townniformly j elevate the bed or roadway ofthe bridge in relation to the supporting means therefor and the water-level.

A further o bject of the invention is to provide a bridge having intermediate pontoonsupports to adapt the construction of a bridge over a considerable water expanse without the use of the usual stationary piers or other common suspending means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bridge structure embodying pontoonsupports arranged at intervals and between whichand the bed or roadway of the bridge adjusting devices are interposed and operative to elevate the bed or roadway of the bridge in relation to the pontoons.

"With these `and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists inthe construction and arrangement of rthe several parts,which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed. s j

InA the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a bridge embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section thereof. Fig. Liis an enlarged detailsectional elevation of a part of the operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of a portion of the operating mechanism.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

`The numerals l and 2 designate opposite towers or abutments of a suitable construction which are erected or built up on the opposite banks of a river or other stream. Between the said towers or abutments the supporting means for the improved bridge is also arranged and comprises in the present instance aplurality of pontoons 3, which are disposed in planes at right angles to the bed of the bridge above or longitudinally of the stream or in the direction of the tidal or other current. These pontoons will be of boat-like form and provided with suitable interior braces, and rising from opposite extremities thereof are skeleton uprights 4, which will be suitably trnssed and braced by cross-braces and counter-levers or analogous devices used in bridge structures. The uprights 4 are `connected to an intermediate frame 5, which also risesf from the pontoon, and the `said uprights and frame, together with each pontoon, form a iioating support for the bridgebed or roadway, and, as clearly shown by Fig. l, the several pontoons, uprights, and frames are connected as one structure by 1ongitudinal tie beams or frames 6 at the upper portions thereof adjacent to the bed or roadway of the bridge. The number of the pontoons and uprights and frames employed in connection with the improved bridge will depend upon the length of the latter, and the interval between each pontoon` structure will be governed by the nature of the body of water over which the bridge is erected or arranged and the strength desired to overcome natural resistances. The dimensions and proportions ofthe pontoons and the uprights 4, together withthe correlative parts, will also depend upon the length iand weight of the bridge as an entirety and are subject to suehfvariations as the necessities of a particular bridge constructionmay demand.

The bridge bed or roadway 7 may be composed of wood or metal or a combination of bothof these materials and will be continuous from end to end of thebridge structure. At opposite sides edges of the bed or roadway 7 vertically-disposed adjusting devices are lolocated and consist of rods or bars 8,"having screw-threads 9 at intermediate points, the screw-threaded portions of the rods or bars eX- tending through and working in the opposite side edge portions of the bed or roadway. The upper and lower terminals of the rods or bars IOO 8 are respectively swiveled in caps 10, held by upwardly-extending portions 11 of the uprights 4 and in the pontoons 3, the said rods or bars passing downwardly through the uprights 4. The rods or bars also 8 pass through horizontally-disposed bevel-gears 12, which are rotatably secured to the under side of the opposite edge portions of the roadway or bed 7 and are interiorly screw-threaded to coperate with the threads 9 of the said rods or bars. In suitable hangers 13, depending from the under side of the bed or roadway 7 on opposite sides of the center of the latter, are counter-shafts 14 and 15, the counter-shafts 14 being longer than the shafts 15, as clearly shown by Fig. 2, and on the central shaft 14 is a longitudinally-disposed vertically-arranged toothed master-wheel 16 of considerable diametrical extent, the said master-wheel projecting above and below the bed or roadway 7, as shown by Figs. 1 and 3.

The shafts 14 and 15 are arranged in transverse alinement over each pontoon structure, and on the outer ends of the shafts 14 are bevel-gears 17, which mesh with the gears 12, engaging the screw rods or bars 8'. On the inner ends of the said shafts 14 are bevel-gears 18, which mesh with corresponding gears 19 on a longitudinally-extending power-transmitting shaft 20, arranged at one side of the longitudinal center of the bed or roadway 7. On the outer ends of the shafts 15 are bevelgears 21,which mesh with the bevel-gearsy 12 on the screw rods or bars 8 at that side of the bridge structure, and on the inner ends of said shafts 15 are bevel-gears 22, which also mesh with the gears 19 on the shaft 20.

The toothed master-wheel 16, as before explained, is mounted on one of the shafts 14, and by means ofthe said master-wheel all of the shafts 14 and 15 will be simultaneously operated through the medium of the powertransmitting shaft 20. This operating mechanism for the gears 12 is carried exclusively by the bed or roadway 7, and it will be seen that when the several bevel-gears 17 and 2l are actuated or rotated the gears 12 will be setin motion and cooperating with the threads 9 on the rods or bars 8 will cause the bed or roadway 7 to be elevated or depressed in 'accordance with the direction of movement or rotation of the shafts 14 and 15.

It is obvious that some means must be provided for setting the master-wheel 16 in motion, and in view of the resistance and weight to be controlled it is obvious that such means must be of a nature which can be readily actuated without the use of motive power or complex mechanism. For this purpose a system of movable levers has been devised, and adjacent to the master-wheel 16 a crank-shaft 23 is mounted, and thereon are fulcrumed the inner ends of a pair of levers 24, the said levers being engaged or engaging the said crank-shaft at a point adjacent their inner ends, and said inner ends are reduced, as at 25, to take into the teeth of the wheel 16, as

clearly indicated by Fig. 4. It'will be seen that an enormous amount of power can be transmitted through the operation of the levers 24 by a minimum amount of forceapplied to the said levers, and hence a single operator may readily control the adjustment of the bridge bed or roadway. In the operation of these levers 24 they are alternately raised and lowered at their free ends by the operator and pushed and pulled in opposite directions in alternation to cause the inner reduced ends 25 to alternately catch in and clear the teeth of the wheel 16, and by this means the said master-wheel can' be rotated in opposite directions and actuate the mechanism in intimate relation thereto to elevateA and depress the bed or roadway 7. The bridge structure will also be reinforced by stringers or braces 26, extendingover and connected to the caps 10 and serving as side guards for the bed or roadway 7, and extending transversely from one cap to another throughout the whole bridge structure are suitable cross-braces 27. On the opposite banks of the stream anchor towers or uprights 28 are erected, and therefrom to the opposite sides of the bridge structure guycables 29 extend, the said guys connecting with the opposite sides of the bridge at regular intervals from the center toward the opposite ends and operate to prevent movement of the bridge by currents or a strong iiow 0f water or, in other words, to insure a positive position and retention of the bridge structure at the'place it is desired it shall remain. These guys will be arranged at an elevation corresponding to the maximum elevation of the bed or roadway and will not interfere in the least with the adjustment ofthe latter.

It is obvious that well-known tension-controlling devices will be used in connection with these guys to take up slack in the same when found necessary.

From the foregoing disclosure it will be seen that an efficient adjustable bridge structure is provided wherein means are comprised for varying the elevation of the bed or roadway relatively to the surface of the water below and overcome the disadvantage arising from an overflow of said bed or roadway. Moreover, the present form of bridge is economical and can be quickly erected and placed in operative position in view of the use of pontoons asa supporting means and the avoidance of the usual expensive pier structures and ordinary suspending devices.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A bridge comprising a plurality of connected pontoon structures having screw-rods rising therefrom, a bed through which the said screw-rods extend, gears carried by the bed through which said screw-rods also pass, and mechanism held by the bed for simultaneously operating the said gears and equally adjusting all parts of the bed at one and the same time.

IOO

2. A bridge comprising pontoon supporting structures, a bed vertically adjustable in relation to said structures, mechanism in connection with parts of the bed at regular intervals for adjusting the same, a toothed master-Wheel for controlling the operation of said mechanism, and levers for actuating the said master-wheel.

3. Abridge comprising pontoon supporting structures, a bed adjustably arranged thereon, vertically-disposed adjusting-screws ar` ranged at opposite sides of the bed, gears carried by the bed through which the said screws extend, a plurality of counter-shafts carrying gears engaging those on the screws, a longitudinallyextending power-transmittin g shaft having gears meshing with those on the counter-shafts and a single master-wheel for simul- 

